On Saturday, February 11^th SUS Young Leader s held their first volunteer activity of 2012.  Eight dedicated YLCers assembled hundreds of kits that SUS outreach staff give out in the SRO hotels to “engage clients”.

SUS’ SRO Project has been bringing services to more than 15 commercial SRO Hotels in Manhattan and the Bronx for over 10 years. The staff visit the hotels and try to engage residents in services. They provide residents with materials to promote safer sex and safer drug use so that the transmission of HIV can be decreased. The goal is to develop relationships with the residents and encourage them to make positive changes in their lives. The ultimate goal of the program is to make sure that each SRO resident gets connected to ongoing medical treatment and that they move to a more stable and safe living environment.

Because the volume of kits assembled on Saturday, SUS Outreach staff can spend more time in the SRO hotels meeting and talking to potential clients.  We thank all of the volunteers very much!

SUS recently launched the Visionary Arts Project under the leadership of SUS Director, Marie Sabatino. According to Ms. Sabatino, this idea was influenced by a number of different elements which helped to bring this project to life. “I saw a great deal of artistic talent within SUS and an innate need for people to express themselves creatively, and I wondered how far these talents could go if we were to take it to the next level.” Soon after, this project was further conceptualized and pitched to SUS Vice President of Mental Health, Wanda Cruz-Lopez, and Chief Executive Officer, Donna Colonna, who showed a strong sense of enthusiasm and support for this endeavor. Ms. Sabatino then began to draw from her relationships with key figures in the creative arts arena, such as the art dealer and Director of Ricco/Maresca Gallery, Frank Maresca, and Director of Fountain Gallery, Jason Bowman. Once it became clear that there was an interest in collaboration, the group exhibit, MAKE. BELIEVE., was born!

MAKE. BELIEVE. features the works of several artists from SUS, Alfred Samba, Steven Wilks and Aubrey Hedge, as well as artists from other renowned art programs in New York City, including The Living Museum, HAI, Inc., and Fountain Gallery. The MAKE. BELIEVE. exhibition was curated by Frank Maresca and the opening reception took place on January 12, 2012. Mr. Bowman estimates that on opening night, several hundreds of people walked through its doors to admire all the work. The MAKE. BELIEVE. exhibit is on view until March 7, 2012 and is located at Fountain Gallery on 702 Ninth Avenue and 48^th Street,New York,New York.

SUS aims to expand its programs in the arts to even more people who are interested in pursuing this opportunity via its weekly art studio workshop at the SUS Brooklyn Psychosocial Clubhouse. Twelve artists living with mental health conditions have participated in this program and many more would like to explore their own potential for art-making. Without formal instruction and guidance, this can be a daunting prospect. SUS is committed to providing the mental health community with the resources and support to express themselves through the creative arts and to engage with the world-at-large to showcase their talents. With your help, SUS can expand these opportunities to an even larger artist base. Please consider donating to SUS and help us create more meaningful opportunities for our artists of the present and artists of the future!

For more information about The Visionary Arts Project, please contact Marie Sabatino: msabatino@sus.org

For more information about the MAKE. BELIEVE. exhibit, please go to the website.

Nearly a month after Science magazine chose a HIV-related clinical trial as its 2011 Breakthrough of the Year, two recent conferences addressed the social and financial support for HIV/AIDS treatment and services. One was the World Economic Forum at Davos, where two major anti-AIDS initiatives were launched to eradicate new HIV infection in children. The other conference was the Care Innovations Summit at Washington, DC, where an HIV Challenge campaign was unveiled to increase individuals’ access to HIV care and improve health outcomes.

These developments make two things possible: protecting vulnerable people against HIV infection and reducing HIV/AIDS mortality to the degree that the infection becomes a chronic condition rather than a death sentence.

While we cheer for the progress, social support is still needed. With 56,000 people becoming infected each year and more than 1.1 million HIV-positive Americans, HIV/AIDS remains an epidemic in the United States. People living with HIV are vulnerable to other social and health related issues, such as substance abuse, homelessness and mental illness; conversely, substance abuse and other mental disorders are risk factors for contracting HIV (source: WHO).  In addition, as many as half of individuals with HIV/AIDS are at risk of homelessness due to unaffordable housing costs and the high cost of medical care (source: NAEH), and the status of being homeless makes their risk of illness even higher. Co-morbidities complicate the various aspects of the healing process, including help-seeking, diagnosis, quality of care provided, treatment and its outcomes, and adherence.

To help them, we need to address their holistic situation.  Not only are residential and supportive services essential, a stigma free environment is also important. At SUS, our Supportive Housing for Individuals & Families, Supportive Housing for Seniors, Harm Reduction Education and Intervention provide help and a safe, non-judgmental environment for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Upon the observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, please join us with your support and help remove the stigma around people living with HIV/AIDS.

As in past years, SUS is once again contributing to the HOPE (Homeless Outreach Population Estimate), NYC annual homeless count. This year, the event will take place tonight, Monday, January 30, 2012, from 10:30PM to 4:00AM. A number of SUS staff members have voluntarily signed up in this important city-wide initiative to count the people who are living in our streets and other public places within the boroughs of New York City.

In 2010, SUS held a press conference to highlight the growing homeless in NYC on the eve of HOPE. Donna Colonna, SUS’ CEO, was interviewed by David Ushry earlier that night on the WNBC Nightly News.

Supportive and stable housing has proved to change people’s lives in the long term. Studies have shown that stable housing is a cornerstone for the treatment of health related issues. It allows people to access comprehensive healthcare and to adhere to complex therapies, thus helps increase individuals’ independence, dignity and sustainability. On a larger scale, by helping individuals return to a more self-sufficient status, supportive housing reduces the social cost of shelters, hospitals and other institutions.

SUS is committed to providing and maintaining supportive housing for vulnerable people who are facing problems such as mental illness, substance abuse or HIV/AIDS. Many of our consumers have made significant improvements to their quality of life, including employment, with the help of our housing program.

If you are keen on helping this homeless count event, registration is still available. If you want to support our housing program, please visit our donation page. With your support, we can continue to provide essential help to those in need.

In addition to housing and support services for people with special needs, volunteerism is another focus in SUS’ daily agenda. Researchers have found that volunteer work not only enhances individuals’ personal well-being, such as happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life and physical health (source: Peggy A. Thoits, Lyndi N.), it also benefits communities. People who volunteer tend to have a stronger bond to their communities and with other individuals. This bond, importantly, builds trust and reciprocity, consolidates and strengthens our society as a whole.

Upon observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, his quote applied to volunteerism is especially worth remembering: “Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”(A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr). Dr. King reminds us that throughout history, volunteerism has represented a way of avowing individual rights and responsibilities. Many lasting institutions, such as the Post Office and Fire Departments, were founded originally by volunteers, giving proof that our ideas of citizen involvement and social responsibility are realized in volunteerism.

As a nonprofit organization, SUS has long understood the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in keeping organizations sustainable. Individuals who give (philanthropy), act (volunteerism), include (employment), and conserve (environment) not only have witnessed the improvement of their job and life satisfaction, but also have enabled corporations to maximize the resources in pursuit of their missions.

Therefore we encourage individuals and corporations participate in SUS volunteer programs such as the holiday stocking project, the urban gardening program and our upcoming document storage “save a pack rat” volunteer day.

Volunteers help SUS provide essential support services to nearly 3,500 individuals with special needs every year. By improving their lives, SUS improves the quality of life for all who live and work in New York City.

The Trustees of the Putnam Avenue Family Trust, the three recent Connecticut Powerball Jackpot winners, awarded their first million dollars in charitable grants to five organizations that provide support services to veterans and active duty military personnel recently returned from deployment. The organizations were selected on their proven ability to work with veterans who are in need of emotional, physical or career support, and we are pleased to announce that SUS was selected as a recipient.

Trustees Greg Skidmore, Brandon Lacoff and Tim Davidson stated, “We cannot think of a more urgent priority than addressing the needs of those men and women who have defended our nation. Many of these veterans are faced with a myriad of real and immediate personal issues that range from trauma to foreclosures.  These grant awards reflect the beginning of a process that allows us to leverage lottery winnings into materially helping our society.”

Organizations that will receive $200,000 each are: The Bob Woodruff Foundation,  Building Homes for Heroes,  Services for the Under Served  (SUS), Operation First Response  and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

SUS has seen many veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life, as they face post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment, homelessness, substance abuse, and legal problems. As we observe the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, we need to make a national commitment to provide assistance for returning veterans so that they are able to reintegrate into civilian life and receive the support and services they deserve.

On Friday, November 18, 2011, SUS celebrated the 2011 ACT Transition Graduation at its Marcy Hart Residence in Brooklyn. Peter Boutros, SUS ACT Team Leader; Wanda Cruz-Lopez, SUS Vice President of Mental Health; Luis Lopez, Director of Best Practices and Recovery Based Initiatives; Nancy Romer, Professor of Psychology/ Executive Director of the Brooklyn College Community Partnership; Gary Clark , NYS OMH ACT and SPOA Coordinator; Angela King-Brown, SUS ACT Team Vocational Specialist; Ana Zanger, NYS Psychiatric Institute/OMH; Jerald Jenkins, SUS ACT Team Peer Specialist, Charles Walker, SUS Substance Abuse Specialist all offered words of congratulation and encouragement to the graduates.

The ACT Transition Program supports individuals’ efforts to transition from high intensity ACT services, to less intensive services and community supports. The program focuses on strategies to retain and extend gains made while in ACT, ensuring individuals have supports while transitioning and beyond their participation in the program. All graduates completed lessons in the Wellness Self-Management for Transition which included topics such as Recovery, Applying Tools for Mental Health Wellness and Recovery, WSM Wrap-Up and Beyond ACT.

SUS’ inspiring graduates were each presented with two certificates. The first certificate was presented by Jamela Rose, representing Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; the second certificate by New York State Senator, Velmanette Montegomery. The program, which also included a performance by Joshua Alcide, SUS Employment Services Job Coach, was followed by a luncheon for the graduates, their family and friends, and SUS staff.

Congratulations to the 2011 ACT graduates

On Thursday, November 17th, supporters of the SUS American Veterans Month Campaign gathered for a thank you. The reception was hosted at Time Warner Corporate Headquarters. The evening’s program featured remarks by Barbara Novick, Vice Chairman, BlackRock, who spoke about BlackRock’s corporate commitment to making sure every veteran receives the care and service the deserve.

We would like to thank everyone who supported the American Veteran Month Campaign and attended this event.

An estimated 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV; yet one out of five don’t know it.  On the eve of World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to building awareness and taking action, we at SUS are sensitive to a new report published in The Official Journal of the International AIDS Society about mental health issues among HIV-positive veterans.

Earlier research has shown that HIV-positive military veterans in the US have high rates of substance abuse and mental health problems. This new study indicates not only more serious mental health problems among HIV-infected veterans but also their impact on clinical outcomes for HIV/AIDS; over two-thirds of HIV-positive military veterans in the US have at least one mental health disorder such as depression, substance abuse, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and about half suffer from two or more disorders. The presence of certain mental health problems, especially schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance abuse, was associated with an increased risk of death and HIV disease progression.

The VA, as the largest provider of care to those living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, recommends that every veteran get tested for HIV at least once in their life.  While there has been a positive significant increase in the number of veterans tested by the VA for HIV to 13.5% in 2010, up from 9.2% in 2009 (VA Increases HIV Testing Rates), investigators concluded that “even in the VA medical system, where comprehensive mental health services are universally available and easily accessible, HIV-infected veterans with [mental illness] remain vulnerable to unfavorable outcomes.”

The SUS campaign “After the Parade” was designed to raise awareness of veterans’ issues.  Many veterans suffer from not only chronic physical health issues but also invisible mental health problems, which are usually neglected. As a special service provider, SUS carries out tailored services for the complex needs of our veterans, meeting our consumers’ goals and preferences. However, we also need help from you. Your generous support is key in the struggle to better serve our veterans.  Together, let’s serve the veterans who have served us.

Founded by Liz Neumark, C.E.O. of the catering company Great Performances in 2006, the non-profit The Sylvia Center specializes in food education. They have worked with many schools, community centers, and other family service organizations, inspiring people to discover good nutrition both at Katchkie Farm in upstate New York and in their Tribeca kitchen.

James A. Essey, President and Chief Executive Officer, TemPositions, recently visited one of the classes.  “Culinary programs like this,” he said, “are the best way to help, as they provide people, mainly those who are more vulnerable, with essential skills for life and possible employment.”

SUS envisions this 6-week program as just the beginning of a long partnership with both TemPositions and The Sylvia Center.